


Inner Strength

by ani_bester



Category: Marvel, Marvel 616, The Shadow (Pulp)
Genre: Crossover, Gen, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-08-06
Updated: 2011-08-06
Packaged: 2017-10-22 07:14:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/235306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ani_bester/pseuds/ani_bester
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve is one of the many New Yorkers that must flee the destruction caused by the fight between Namor and the Human Torch. Seeing a child in trouble, Steve risks his own life to try and help, but he needs help to match the strength of his body to the strength in his heart.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Inner Strength

One moment Steve Rogers had been sitting on a rooftop, eating the last bits of his bread, and the next he was running for his life with the rest of the WPA workers.

All around him panicked men scrambled over bricks and mortar trying to outrun the flames and water. Steve gasped for breath; the smoke making it hard to breath, even more so than it normally was for him. He tried hard to not think about the rapidly rising floodwaters roaring just below the building. He tried harder not to hear the screams of those unlucky enough to be on lower ground when the tidal wave had swept through.

Smoke whirled around him and he began to cough. One fit of coughing was so severe that he paused, despite the danger, until his lungs worked correctly. Just as he was about to make up lost time, something to his left caught his attention. A small boy clung to the top of a fire escape, desperately trying to haul himself back onto the roof. But, is feet were too short, and the area to slick with ocean water.

"Help me," the kid cried. Tears and sweat streaked the soot on his face.

Steve whirled around looking for anyone else, anyone stronger.

"Hey!" he cried, running after a group of men who passed him by. "Hey stop! Someone help! There's a kid!" Steve waved his hands frantically trying to catch their attention, but if they saw him, they still did not stop.

He wouldn't be strong enough. He knew that, but he was all there was. Ignoring the advancing inferno and the rising water, he stopped running and doubled back to reach the child.

"Hold on," he called out. The boy's eyes widened in hope. Seeing that, Steve vowed not to let the kid down.

For once, his body served him well. His height allowed him to reach down and grab the boy's wrist, taking the boys weight and preventing him from slipping into the water below. But, that was all he could do.

"Pull me up, mister," the kid whimpered.

Steve tried.

And tried again.

"Come on," the boy cried more frantically. "Come on, pull me up!"

"I'm trying," Steve cried, pulling with all the strength his frail body possessed

"Mister, the water," the boy whimpered. "Pull me up!" The water rose high enough to reach the boys toes, and with a panicked scream, he flailed, kicking wildly as though he trying to run on air.

"No," Steve shouted, "hold st—"

His warning came a moment too late and with a cry, the child lost his grip on the railing. Steve gritted his teeth against tearing pain as suddenly he became the sole thing holding the child above the raging displaced ocean below.

Gripping the boy's arms as tightly as he could, Steve continued to try and lift the child away from the rapidly raising water. His arms and shoulders burned with the effort and his hands screamed from the strain but he refused to let go. Even as he felt the child slip, Steve refused to give in to the reality of the situation.

"Keep trying," he pleaded through clenched teeth.

"Pull." The command echoed through Steve's mind in a voice that was not his. Steve obeyed anyway and pulled.

And then he was falling over onto his back. For one horrifying moment, he thought he'd lost, but then he saw a black form scooping the child up. The figure turned and looked at Steve with bight black eyes that stood out from the shadow of a wide brimmed hat.

"Run."

Steve ran.

Just when he thought his lungs might burst, the figure stopped, and set the kid down. Steve dropped to his knees, trying desperately to catch his breath. Something bright red fluttered in the wind and caught his attention. He looked up and met the man's eyes.

A chill passed through Steve, but he offered his hand anyway. "Sorry I can't stand and thank you proper," he said sheepishly, "But thank you."

The figure was silent a moment, then began to walk away. "I see no evil in your heart," he answered with the faintest hint of awe.

Steve was about to ask what that meant when his thoughts were interrupted by the boy's excited shout.

"Look!" the child cried, pointing at the sky.

Steve looked and saw two figures, one completely aflame and the other looking like man as far as Steve could see, fighting in the air like gods.

"Isn't' that great!' The boy asked, straining to get a better look.

Steve looked out and the flooded, burning city.

"Yeah," he said, wincing at the pain in his arm. "Great."

He glanced behind him but the strange man in the wide hat and red scarf had gone.


End file.
